Thu Sep 01 2005 22:43 PST:
Sumana started talking about a boring ergonomics lecture which was so boring that the Powerpoint slides had been printed out in advance and given as notes. Presentation slides do not serve the same purpose as notes, but they're close enough for these purposes I guess. Sumana had not seen this lecture but suspected that it was the kind of presentation where etymology was deployed as an offensive weapon.

"Ergonomics is a Latin word," said I, kicking off this putative lecture. "It derives from 'ergo', 'therefore', and 'nomics', 'self-modifying games'. Therefore, self-modifying games. You may ask yourself, what does any of this have to do with ergonomics as practiced today? And you may ask yourself, where is that large automobile? And you may say to yourself, this is not my beautiful house!" Etc.

Sumana asked me to write about this so there would be a NYCB entry today. I have been writing all day already and the world is coming to an end, so I'm not in a writing mood at this moment, but the writing is done now.